Here are the series recommendations for Azriel. Alternatively, you can search for them all through #azriel series
Minors DNI! Please make sure to read the series masterlist warnings provided by the author's before reading!
Undead | @idkyetxoxo
In a world overrun by the dead, she survives by staying alone—until a chance encounter with a wounded child and the broken men protecting him changes everything.
The Shadowsinger & The Inkbird | @florencemtrash
Y/n's clairvoyance is a gift from the Mother, but it feels more like a curse. With the power to gain knowledge through touch alone, Y/n holes herself up in The Alcove and hopes her powers and parentage will remain a secret. But things will change after the Summer Solstice ball and a chance encounter with a certain Shadowsinger.
Are We Still Friends? | @illyrianbitch
You and Azriel have been best friends for centuries. So when he found someone new, a female named Selene, you wanted to be happy for him. But something felt… off. And when you finally voiced your concerns, it didn’t go the way you expected. An emotional argument. A messy fallout. And now, Azriel is doing everything he can to make things right. But something between you has changed—something unspoken and impossible to ignore.
Here are the fluff recommendations for Azriel. Alternatively, you can search for them all through #azriel fluff
Minors DNI! Any works listed below that are also 18+ are marked with 🍒 and should not be consumed by anyone younger.
Blush | @kymawrites
You like to make Azriel blush. (9.4k words)
Throwing Hands | @writingcroissant
Azriel's mate must know how to fight. And who better to teach her than the Shadowsinger, the General, and the High Lord? (1.8k words)
He Feels Safe With You | @florencemtrash
Azriel's sleeping habits begin to worry you, but after a conversation with Cassian, you realize you've misinterpreted the entire situation.
Different | @parkerslatte
Ever since Feyre arrived at Velaris, they have only ever known Azriel a stoic and mostly serious. But once his wife comes home, she sees a different side to him. (1.7k words)
Here are the angst recommendations for Azriel. Alternatively, you can search for them all through #azriel angst
Minors DNI! Any works listed below that are also 18+ are marked with 🍒 and should not be consumed by anyone younger.
Creature Fear | @pellucid-constellations
And if had been clean, if there had been no strings between you, this would have been easy. But, with Azriel, you had never expected the strings to disappear. They would always be there—at least, they would for you. (2.3k words)
Here are the smut recommendations for Azriel. Alternatively, you can search for them all through #azriel smut
Minors DNI! All works listed below are 18+ and should not be consumed by anyone younger.
Illicit Affairs | @buckyschair
On a dreaded visit to the Hewn City, Azriel finds more than he bargained for. It’s only fitting that when your wildest fantasies come true in a land of nightmares, it's with a forbidden visitor rather than your own husband… After all, who could be a better affair partner than the master of spies? (7.6k words)
Illyrian Mating Season | @angelshadowsinger
Trouble finds you when your Illyrian friends are away, and just as you’re about to meet your fate, the shadowsinger comes to save you. But now you have an entirely new issue at hand— he’s near-feral and in the peak of his heat, and you’ve both reached your breaking point. (9.3k words)
Slow Burn | @assassinsblade
After a mission in Illyria, you find yourself drugged with some sort of aphrodisiacal breeding tonic. With Azriel seemingly interested in Elain, who can keep you from enduring a torturous night of pain? (5k words)
Have You Ever Tried This One? | @steveslevis
Azriel is very experienced in the romance department and you're not. Well, that is until you're introduced to the world of Nesta’s favorite book genre and everything changes. (6.1k words)
A Lesson in Lust | @surielstea
When Reader fakes an orgasm Azriel has no choice but to teach her not to lie to him, but not with words. (6.5k words)
Summary: At a ball you meet the one person you thought you would never see again, you left him once. Will you leave him again?
Word count: 2.8k
Warnings: Violence, I guess?
Note: We have some new friendships and some good old Rhysand and inner circle slander, høhø. Let me know if you wanna be added to the tag list.
Chapter 2
You jumped from the balcony, not caring about the height you’d had to fall to reach the garden beneath. You were still in your nightgown but you didn’t care. There was no way you weren’t leaving right away.
There was nothing to do except sprint towards the staples, you might have a mate with wings, but since you yourself didn’t have any, they would have to be borrowed elsewhere.
You ran on bare feet, not even noticing the cuts the rocks beneath your feet caused. Nothing mattered, nothing except this, except him.
Luna was in her stable, dark and strong as always. The fairy lights shone on her blank feathers and reflected the light. Your father had gifted you the pegasus because he thought she matched your eyes. And the two of you had instantly bonded.
You quickly slid into your riding pants and their matching leather boots, all meant to keep you safe and warm in the high altitude.
“Hey girl, are you ready for a trip to Night?” you whispered into the neck of Luna, you twisted some of her mane around your finger as she gently pushed your hip. It was almost as if she asked you to hurry up and get going.
You chuckled, and the shadow that had manifested in your skin came back to life and slid up her mane and rested between her ears. It looked like she was suddenly wearing a crown of shadows, and it made her look even more majestic than she already did.
Luna stretched out her wings and made room for you to climb up her back, and just as you set off into the night, Lucien came crashing into the stable, only to see you disappear up into the sky.
Azriel had never really gotten up after the meeting in Rhy’s office earlier that day. He had stayed in that spot on the couch. As usual no one really seemed to notice. When the meeting had ended they all scattered to find out information about his so-called condition, no one stayed behind to check in, to hug him as he cried.
He clawed at his chest again. She would’ve, she would’ve stayed. He kept repeating the thought as a mantra.
It was dark out when the High Lord once again joined him in the office. “Az, what are you…” he started, but was quickly interrupted.
“Let me go, let me go get Elain” he asked. “I need to feel like I’m doing something…”
Rhysand sighed as he sat down on his large chair behind his desk. “You are doing something, your shadows are doing more than any of us ever could.” he rested his cheek in his hand as he looked at his brother.
Azriel only shook his head. “I don’t care, and honestly Rhys, I’m going with or without your permission” his eyes were cold, in a way that was only ever directed at his victims, the people he tortured, never had he ever looked at anyone from his family with eyes like that.
Rhysand sat up in his chair, face folded in his neat mask with that feline smile of a cover for his true emotions. Azriel rolled his eyes at his behavior.
“So, this is how it’s gonna be, huh?” he asked as he let his power roam through the room. It was enough to make the fiercest warrior afraid, but Azriel wasn’t just anybody.
“Yes” he answered as he stood up. The High Lord of Night’s eyes darkened. “You’re in no position to leave, you're broken, bruised and you’re definitely not thinking straight” Rhysand stood from his chair, palms placed at the cool mahogany surface. He let some more of his power free.
“Just because you were willing to let Feyra go, just because Cassian refused to tell Nesta the truth about who they were to each other, doesn't mean I want to do the same brother.” he spit out the last word as he felt his shadows dance around him in a protective manner. “Let’s be honest, the two of you were cowards, too afraid of them refusing you to even try to fight for them, for their love. I have no intention of doing that. I have always been rejected and refused, but not with her, at least not yet. And if she were to refuse me I’d rather have that happen sooner rather than later”
“That’s not fair, they both did what they thought was best for us” Feyra said from the door opening with Nyx in her arms, but Azriel only shrugged.
“Have you ever stopped to think that this might all be a trick?” Rhysand asked. “That you’re being manipulated by someone to leave Valaris? That an attack could be coming? If you leave our first defense, your spies, will leave with you and we will be vulnerable”
He had to admit that his High Lord was making a good point. But he should also know that Azriel would never leave Valaris unprotected. “Fine, I’ll leave a few stationed by the borders to inform you if they catch an intruder. Now if you’ll excuse me, I really wanna get going”
And with that he stepped through a shadow, leaving his High Lord and Lady alone in the study. Rhysand couldn’t help but wonder if he was well on his way to make an enemy of the Shadowsinger, and if that were the case, he was scared of what that might mean for not only his court, but his family.
“What do you mean she left?! I thought you said she was so weak that she could barely walk?!” Azriel heard the High Lord of Day yell through the halls. His voice bounced on the walls, and he could feel the almost scolding power that he radiated, despite being no way near him. Helion's voice was sad, heartbroken and worried. It was new for him to catch the High Lord in a position like that. It seemed that these two usually powerful men were both in a vulnerable state.
“Someones here” Elain said, as she laid a hand on her mates beating heart. Lucien quickly turned towards the hall where Azriel’s shadows had taken him, he quickly put himself in front of his mate, as he lit both the fire and the light that was hidden away in his veins.
As Azriel stepped into the light, none of the three high fae spoke. He looked like a shell of the person that Elain had seen just the night before, there hadn’t even gone a day, what had happened to her friend? She couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her lips.
The shadowsinger couldn’t help but smirk, but it never reached his eyes. “I hope you don’t mind me stopping by, but I need your help Elaine”. It only took a few steps for Lucien to get in front of the Spymaster. His hand rested on the back of his neck, checking his temperature. His hands slid up his cheeks and forced him to meet his eyes as they scanned him for any kind of injury.
“I’m fine Luce'' he said as he brushed away his hands. The most amazing thing that had come from Azriel's previous crush on the Archeron sister was the friendship with the Vanserra. The two men had learned to understand each other on a level no other could. And in the last decade Lucien and Elaine had become the people Az would always turn to.
None of them really showed the rest of their inner circle the bond that they shared. Elain had always said it would be too dangerous, never really specifying why. So they met up in other courts, snuck away at balls to drink and laugh with one another.
Elaine was by Azriels side in a second, taking his arms in hers, and it was almost like he collapsed in the pair's arms. Like if he came home and his body finally allowed itself to relax. His knees gave after and he broke down. He didn't even have the energy to hold his wings off the ground. The state of the Illyrian even worried Helion as he called out for his soldiers to fetch him a healer, that was despite the fact that he seemed to have enough worries of his own.
“Az, what the hell happened to you?” Elaine said as he brushed his curls from his forehead, but he couldn’t meet her eyes. He just stared at his hands. A few seconds later, he passed out from exhaustion.
You rode all night, desperate to be in the Night Court as soon as daylight hit the territory of one of the oldest allies of her fathers. Helion had always respected Rhysand, always adored Feyra and thirsted after your own mate and his best friends.
A fire ran through your body at the mere thought of some other person's hands on his body. It was weird, because the bond hadn’t snapped yet, but you still knew that he belonged to you, and the possessiveness was already clouding your mind. You couldn’t help the chuckle.
Shortly after you had crossed the border you landed on a hillside outside what you assumed to be Valaris, you would wait here, for anyone of the so-called innercircle to come find you. No need to make them worry, they were warriors after all.
It didn’t take long before you saw the High Lord and Lady winnow a few hundred meters away from you. Shortly after followed the Morrigan, Cassian, Nesta and Amren. But no Azriel. You felt how your heart contacted, how the disappointment sept through your body. Why wasn’t he here? Did he know you were coming and had decided he wanted nothing to do with you?
“Couldron boil me, that’s a fucking black pegasus” you heard Nesta breathe out in chock. You smiled at her, and she took a step towards you, mesmerized by the creature, but was quickly stopped by her mate.
A second later you felt as both Rhysand and Feyra tried gaining access to your mind. Your walls of black obsidian, as dark as your eyes kept them out, and it didn’t take long for them to realize there was no way in.
“Who are you?” Rhysand yelled out towards you.
“I’m Y/N, emissary from Day” you spoke clearly, tried your best to seem as confident as possible as you were stared down by all of them, your mates' chosen family.
“How come we’ve never met you then?” Feyra then said, Rhysand was slowly walking closer to you as he assessed you, your stance and Luna too.
“I’ve spent the majority of my time in Autumn ever since Eris took over, and as far as I know, you aren’t that close with the Vanserras” you felt how the fire in your veins wanted to make them known as you spoke of your other home court, but you kept it hidden. Your father had kept your identity a secret for a reason after all.
“Only an idiot would willingly spend time with that snake Eris” Cassian said as he crossed your arms. You couldn’t help but look at Mor who to most people was as poised as ever, but you saw how her shoulders shrunk by the mention of your oldest brother. Lucien had told you of how she had decided to keep the truth of her run-in with Eris a secret, and not defend him. Not calling her out, took every bit of willpower you had stored in your body.
Instead you rolled your eyes, as you had learned your brothers often did when the matter of that day centuries ago was brought up. Mor seemed to recognize the gesture but kept it to herself.
“None of that really explains why you’re here girl” Amren said with a cold, almost indifferent tone.
You sighed as you pulled off your riding gloves. “I’m here to seek out your Shadowsinger, High Lord and Lady” you might be better off with fake formalities you thought.
Rhysands eyes darkened instantly. “And tell me, what is it exactly you want with my Spymaster?” it all seemed like too much of a coincidence to the pair.
Be careful… Worried… Angry… Afraid.
The shadow that had accompanied from Day, had at some point managed to slither up your neck and now sat close to your ear and whispered information to you about the people who stood before you.
It was impossible for you to hold back the smirk that painted your lips. Azriel might not be here, but his shadow was helping you, and it made you feel safe.
You shrugged. “I have some information for him,” you said. The answer didn’t seem to please Rhysand, and you felt that insane amount of power radiate from him.
“As far as I know, Azriel is my spymaster, he reports to me. So whatever information you have for him, you can tell me” Rhysand smirked, but his eyes were dark, cold. He seemed on edge, as if he had expected something to happen soon, as if he expected an attack.
You smiled at him, tried to seem as gentle and non threatening as possible. And then you shook your head and Rhysands smile faltered. “No, this only concerns him, no one else”
“You’ve trespassed into our court, you seek out one of the most powerful people in all of Prythia and you refuse to tell me why. What exactly do you expect me to do?” He said as he flicked off a piece of lint from his sleeve. No doubt a coping mechanism to seem somewhat indifferent. It didn’t work on you.
“I expect you to welcome me like you would any other emissary, and something tells me this isn’t the usual welcome wagon” You catch eyes with Nesta as she smirks at your comment. Elaine had always told you that she had a problem with their brother-in-law.
“You’ve chosen to come at a bad time, and apart from that Helion usually informs me of the emissaries he sends our way, he hasn’t this time. So maybe you’re just one of Eris’s whores, coming here to see if you could seduce the only unmated man in my innercircle to get information”
Rhysand looked to a few of Azriel’s shadows that stood close by. “Grab her and take her to the dungeons” he ordered, and the shadows rushed towards you. But just like on the balcony these shadows stopped a few feet from you, and when your little friend revealed itself from its hiding place in your hair, Azriel’s shadows rushed up to join it on your shoulders.
They were filled with excitement as they kept chanting mate, over and over as they took turns to shower you with compliments. You giggled at them, despite the danger you knew stood before you. Your first little friend gave you a peck on the cheek and left you with its friends, slithering away to find its master and tell him to hurry home.
“Is she a shadowsinger?” Mor said as she took a step forward. The surprise was easy to read on all their faces. Nesta leaned into Cassian with a knowing smirk as she gave you a small nod.
“I’m not here to cause trouble, please believe that” You said as the shadows calmed and rested in your hair, on your shoulders, up your arms and down your legs. They provided you with an extra layer of protection.
“Let the shadows go” Feyra ordered, as wings grew from her back. It was an incredible sight to see her shape shift before you.
“I’m not their master, they go where he orders them to, I'd imagine” you answered, but Rhysand seemed to be filled with your excuses, and sent out a wave of pure power aimed directly at you.
You heard Nesta scream “NO!” as he did, a reaction that earned her a look from the High Lord. The shadows took the blow, which made you wince on their behalf. You had no idea if they were conscious beings, if they could feel pain. You hope they couldn’t.
Feyra helped her mate in his attack, sending light your way that never hit its target and fire that never burned your skin. Her frustrations were clear to see for all, personally you couldn’t help the smirk on your lips.
And then you raised a hand and all light that surrounded the inner circle disappeared, leaving all but Nesta in complete and utter darkness.
“Did that witch just blind me?!” Cassian yelled out. As he tried desperately to get to his mate. Nesta just rolled her eyes before grabbing his hand, she did however have a subtle smile on her lips.
“I just wanna talk to Azriel, please… Just tell me where he is” you felt how your voice threatened to break.
“He’s not here Lightstealer” Amren said with a calm and collected voice. “He’s in another court, and I’m guessing none of us plan to tell you which before you give us our sight back” The small woman crossed her arms as she shot out one of her hips.
You sank to your knees ready to give up on your quest and let your power go, once again making it possible for them to see. You felt your tears stream silently down your cheeks. The shadows were desperate to calm you, to make you feel better. In that moment you were all they saw, and one second later, something hit you over the head and everything went black.
Summary: At a ball you meet the one person you thought you would never see again, you left him once. Will you leave him again?
Word count: 3k
Warnings: Angst angst angst
Note: Let's break your hearts once more shall we? thank you all for the insane response on chapter 1, i would've never imagined that...
part 1 - Chapter 3
As soon as Azriel’s shadows had left the room to go out into the world to look for you, he himself pulled the covers off his body as he mentally called out for Rhysand, begging him to get to him as fast as possible.
He prayed a silent prayer, desperately hoping that he would hear him, that he wouldn’t be as lost to his dreams that his mind wouldn’t be aware of possible dangers. He cursed himself, he should have sent a shadow to summon him instead.
The room was dark and still, and the sun was still an hour away before it would rise over the snow covered mountaintops. Azriel was shivering, almost unable to breathe, despite the warm temperature in his room.
And his hands… his hands clawed at his chest, hoping to find a sliver of that golden thread he had felt singing in his chest while he had dreamt. It had to be real, it couldn’t just be a figment of his imagination. You had to exist.
Rhys appeared in front of him, sword in hand as his magic swept through the room, looking for any kind of danger, any kind of threat that would need his immediate assistant. But he came up empty.
The only thing he found was his brother's terrified hazel eyes. They were begging, pleading, but he never verbalized what it was he needed from his High Lord. So instead of asking he entered his mind that Azriel had left completely unprotected.
That in itself was warning enough to Rhys that something had to be terribly wrong. Azriel was one of two in the inner circle whose mind were always completely closed off to him. And it being laid bare before him was a testament to his desperation.
Rhysand scanned the memories but only found the dream that was slowly slipping from his brother's mind. Please save as much of her as you can, I beg of you.
The loss swept through the High Lord of the Night Court and he couldn’t help it when he winced at the sorrow that had crippled his always strong brother. Your face was already gone, only a blurred memory was left.
Rhys saved everything he could, he used all power he had in him to hopefully collect some of what was lost. Your name was long forgotten, the only thing that lingeried was the name that he had given you. Angel.
He felt the thread in his brother's chest, golden and singing to her, that mystery woman, and it felt just like his own. It was a feeling that could not be replicated. Who were you? Friend or foe? Was this all a manipulation? He shook his head, he could think about the implications later
There was such longing in him, such heartbreak at the now missing thread that had connected the two. Rhysand felt how the mere feeling threatened to break his own heart. To loose your bond, would be a fate worse than death.
Feyra stroked her mate's mental shield and sent love down their bond, it was enough for him to snap out of the pain so that he could continue the work, all the while he showed his mate what had happened to her dear friend.
He made sure to take all memories of you and store them away somewhere in his brother's mind where he would be able to access them whenever he wanted to. Whenever he needed to. And when that was done he could do nothing but hold the large Illyrian as he sobbed into his chest.
The day had been terrible. The aching feeling in your chest hadn’t left you for even a second since you’d left your bed that morning. Your hand had constantly rested on your heart, rubbing soothing circles into your chest whenever you felt it ache.
Your eyes were focused on the liquid in your glass. The color of the whiskey, especially as the light shone through it reminded you of something. Which only made your heart arch a little more. You couldn’t help the wince your face made.
A cold hand grabbed the one of yours that was currently resting on the table next to a giant stack of papers. Your twin squeezed your hand to get your attention. He was concerned, and you understood why. It had been decades since you had been this absent, it had been decades since you shut him out.
“Are you okay?” he whispered, as to not draw attention to your lack of engagement in the meeting. You nodded and forced a smile, but you knew you hadn’t convinced him. Your twin flame gave you away.
Having a twin flame was rare, even amongst twins or especially close siblings. It was a bond that connected the two of you to one another, a silent way of communicating, a silent way of knowing if the other was okay. It also meant that the two of you could share your powers.
Your father had helped you to control it, to share without suffocating the fire that burned in your veins or the light that shone from every pore of your body. The two of you were his most prized possession, the lights of his life, the only remaining memory of his mate.
As the Highlord of Day dismissed his closest advisors with a wave of his hand, he asked his children to stay behind.
Helion sighed and pressed the bridge of his defined nose with two fingers. “What’s going on with the two of you?” He looked between you, almost worried.
Lucien shrugged. “Nothing’s going on” you could feel how he strained his voice to be as nonchalant as possible. Unfortunately, your father knew you both a little too well.
“Well that was a bad lie. Y/N, why don’t you give it a go?” He smirked as he tapped the tips of his fingers on the table in an almost teasing manner.
You rolled your eyes and dropped your hand from your heart. “It’s nothing” your voice was much more quiet than you had intended it to be. Which painted Helions face in worry.
“What happened between last night and this afternoon?” He leaned forward in his large chair, elbows resting on his thighs.
You picked at your nails, never meeting his eyes. All the while the wall your had build around your fire, around your light, collapsed.
Lucien stumbled backwards at the wave of your emotions that ran through him. Despite it not being as clear a connection as the bond he had with his mate, it could still be quite overwhelming. Especially when it came to emotions as strong as yours.
Helion was out of his chair and by your side in a second. “Oh my little star… What happened?” His hand came in contact with your cheek and as you leaned into his touch, you felt the tears breaking free from their prison.
“I don’t know?” Your eyes were desperate, your hand once again clawing at your chest. For the first time the men seemed to notice it and they both recognized the desperation behind the act.
“You found your mate?” Lucien whispered. You felt his disappointment and it broke your broken heart a little more.
There was nothing in the world that could’ve stopped the sob that escaped your throat as you launched yourself into your fathers chest. He cradled you in his arms as if you weren’t the fierce warrior he had raised you to be, as if you were something precious and easily broken. Because to him, you were.
“I wish I knew who he was, why is the mother so cruel? What have I done to deserve this kind of punishment? This kind of torture?” you said between panicked breaths.
“What do you mean?” Lucien quickly rushed to the two of you on the floor, forcing your dark eyes to meet his, as you clung to the already dampen shirt of your father.
“I dreamt of him, I felt the bond sing in my chest, and now… Now it’s just gone. I’ve never felt so hollow” Speaking the words aloud broke you even further. And despite them trying to get you to explain further it was impossible to understand what you were trying to tell them.
In the end Lucien picked you from your fathers arms and carried you to your room, tucking you in. The crying and the anxiety had drained you quicker than your typical morning sparring and light wielding.
He hadn’t known you for more than a few decades, but you were one of the few people in this godforsaken world he would risk everything to protect. And seeing you like this, broke him.
Helion was just outside your door when Lucien exited your room, he was talking to a few scholars, no doubt ordering them to scour every library in Prythian to find any record of what had happened to you.
“Is she asleep?” He asked as he saw his son. Lucien nodded.
“It almost sounds like he had a vision, I’ll get Elain here, she might have a better idea on what to do”
Helion sighed. “Let’s hope. Losing your mating bond is enough to drive anyone insane, but losing a bond that has never physically existed? Cauldron, I don’t know what it’ll do to her psyke”
“We’ll protect her dad, as always” Helion smiled at his son, pride filling his heart and soul.
“Yes we will”
“This is insane,” Cassian said as he walked in circles in front of the windows of Rhysands office.
“I still can’t believe that Elaine just left without saying anything, we could really use her right now. She might be the only one on the planet who has a clue as to what this is” Rhys said as he held a hand on his mate's shoulder.
Somewhere in the room Nesta rolled her eyes. “Her mate needed her, so she left. You would’ve done the exact same”
Amren sighed. “Tell us more about her, boy” she said as she looked towards Azriel.
He only shook his head in response.“I can’t keep doing this, it physically hurts not being able to remember her!”
Azriel once again clawed at his leathers, the act itself made everyone winch. This had to be a fate worse than death, Feyra kept thinking.
“Maybe I should go and get Elaine, I mean if I tell her how important it is, she’ll come, right?”
Feyra shrugged as she saw how Azriel pulled one of the throw pillows on the couch closer to his chest.
There was sorrow and sadness in the general’s eyes. He hated that the enemy was not something he could strike down and kill. It was a hopeless feeling that took root in the lord of bloodshed.
“She won't leave if Lucien needs her, she will help him until she’s no longer needed. Just like you would do for me, or Rhys would do for Feyre” Nesta said as she ran her hands up and down his arms to sooth her mate.
“I can’t just stand by and do nothing” he whispered as he laid his forehead against hers.
“What about your shadows boy? Do they have anything to report” Amren said, as she stared Azriel down.
He winced at the mere reminder of the disappointment he had felt whenever a few of them had returned from a court, an island or even the continent without any news of you. Maybe it had just been an insanely realistic dream, maybe it wasn’t a sign from the mother.
Maybe you just didn’t exist. The mere thought brought tears to his eyes and he felt his chest retracting. No you were real. He knew you were.
“So far nothing to report, they can’t find her…” He said as a tear escaped his eye. He didn’t even whisk it away, he just let them fall silently.
“Can I show the rest the dream? They might pick up on something that we didn’t? That way you wont have to explain it further…” Rhysand said as he sat in front of Azriel. He nodded at the request and tried sending a smile his way to express the gratitude.
The inner circle nodded as they braced themselves, just a second before your dream flashed before their eyes.
Amren felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest as she felt the sorrow that Azriel had felt as you disappeared before him.
Feyra felt that familiar feel of the bond that had snapped in his chest when you had pulled him into your arms at the ball.
Morrigan however focused on everything besides the emotions that he had felt. She focused on the details in your dress. The silver threads, the beading, so familiar, but somehow still out of reach. But as you had prepared to spare with the Spymaster, a necklace caught her eye. The diamond was beautiful, a color so dark it almost stole all the light around it.
It was familiar to her. But for some reason she couldn’t place where she had seen it before. It was a distant memory, one from long ago. So instead of giving Azriel hope, she chose to only disclose this information to her cousin.
He took her information and tucked it neatly away. The two of them would go over every memory of Mor’s mind until you found out where or who that necklace belonged to.
Elaine left your room and met her mate outside in the hall. He was with her in a second. Holding her close. Her eyes had that same sparkle as whenever she had a vision. She had seen something, Lucien only hoped that it was good news.
“What did you see, my flower?” he whispered as he kissed her temple. She breathed him in, grounding herself in the reality she now found herself to be in.
“It wasn’t a vision, whatever that dream was, it’s not something that will take place in the future. It’s almost like it was its own world, its own reality.” She shook her head. “It was terrible Lucien, the loss she feels, it’s heartbreaking”
He pulled her into his chest as she sobbed at the mere thought of losing that thread herself.
“The future's not set in stone yet, she might find him, she might not. Whatever needs to happen for that to manifest, it hasn’t happened yet. All we can do is wait, wait and help her”
The mated pair heard a chair fly through the room as Helion had thrown it against one of the walls. It shattered at impact. The highlord of day fell to his knees, and he broke down into a sobbing mess. Just as he had when he had found you on his doorstep all those centuries ago.
Here you were, just as weak as you had been that day. But he was powerless, there was nothing he could do to protect you.
You laid in your bed, and looked out on the dark sky of the night. It was beautiful, and it almost felt like the darkness was calling out to you.
Despite the cold stone beneath your feet you walked out onto the balcony. The wind caressed your skin, it cooled your inner fire that threatened to break free from where you had caged it up inside of you. It threatened to seep out destroy the world until it located him.
And just when you wanted to scream, curse the mother, the cauldron and all other gods for this hell they had put you in, you saw a flicker of darkness through the corner of your eye.
It almost looked like a thick smoke had come to life. It slithered towards you as a snake would do in the grass. It was hesitant, curious, but it also almost seemed afraid. You reached your arm out towards it, wanting to feel it, wanting to know what it was.
The shadow stood up, the movement was almost feline. It seemed to analyze you, looking you up and down, as if you would want to capture it and cause it harm if you got a hold on it.
But as your fingers came in touch with it, as you felt the soothing cold from it, the fire that had burned through you all day was calmed, and the previously shy shadow exploded with excitement.
It twirled around your fingers, up your wrist, around your arms, until it whirled around your neck, making your hair sway in the wind that it created. The feeling was soothing, and the ache dulled in your chest, as if it healed a small piece of your heart.
As the shadow calmed it came to rest around your ear. And just when you thought you had seen all it had to offer it whispered in your ear.
Ours, ours, ours… Our mate.
And as if the missing piece of a puzzle had been returned to you, it all clicked into place. His face, his name, even his smell had been hidden in the shadows he always surrounded himself with, and this time they had hidden him even from you as you had woken up.
You had always seen him at functions, hiding away in the corners of the room. His beauty was one that had always captivated you, but you had never dared to get close to him. You had left him alone, never realizing who he was to you.
Azriel Shadowsinger, the spymaster of the Night Court, was your mate.
“Let's return you to your master shall we?” The shadow danced in and out of your hair in delight, before slithering down your arm, and sinking into your skin, branding it with a shadow almost as if it claimed you.
